Challenge Accepted
by tara160894
Summary: The story of Lily and James in their seventh year, and what took them from hate to love, a thin line. My first fic so please read and review!


DISCLAIMER:

I do not own the Potter, sadly.

This is my first fic, so please read and review!

LOVE YOU ALL

**CHALLENGE ACCEPTED**

We sat in our common room, reading quietly. The tension was palpable, and I couldn't focus on what I was reading. We hadn't talked about the fact that we were head boy and girl together, living in the same quarters. I still hated him from all those years ago, he had never managed to stop being a prick, even after seven years. 'His interpersonal skills were a point of contention between us', as McGonagall so eloquently put it. In layman's terms, I hated his guts 'cos he was a douche. Yet there we were, forced together by fate. I didn't even understand why Professor Dumbledore named him Head Boy; he had caused nothing but trouble. He sighed loudly and shifted in his armchair. He looked up, and seeing me watching him, he quipped, "Enjoying the view, Evans?" he laughed smugly to himself. I decided at that point that this was enough.

"Right Potter, I don't like you and you don't like me-,"

"But, Evans, I do like you, you know that, after the millions of times I've asked you out," he interrupted.

"Whatever then, I don't like you. But we're now role models for the younger students and obviously we're living in the same quarters, so do you think you could find it in you to be civil for just this one year, and then we will be shot of each other forever?"

He looked downcast, and I suddenly felt bad.

"Potter?" I said. No response. "James?"

He looked up, surprised. "That's the first time you've called me James since…" his silence hung in the air, and we both knew when he was referring to.

We were in fourth year, and for some reason, the marauders and my group of friends had melded into one, what with Sirius dating Merle, my best friend , and Remus and I being such close friends. I had developed a strange love-hate relationship with Potter. Mainly, he loved me, I hated him. But he had been oddly kind to me and others recently, so I decided to give him a chance. One day in Care of Magical Creatures, we were feeding our poleacks, when Merle screamed loudly when her poleack suddenly flew off with her still holding onto its horn. She let go and fell to the ground, unharmed, but her scream had startled the rest of the animals and some of them were bucking. Out the corner of my eye I saw a figure crumple to the ground. I turned around to help, and my heart sunk.

"James!" I screamed, running towards him. I reached him first and cradled his head in my lap. He had a huge gash right down his chest, and he was bleeding so much. Sirius and Remus were trying to calm his poleack down and Professor Narby was still lumbering over to him. James' face was pale, and his glasses had been knocked off when he fell. He mumbled something incoherently, and I leaned down closer to him to hear. He managed one word before he fainted… "Lily."

Later on, in the hospital wing, James was surrounded by girls who had come to visit him. I walked in and caught his eye, and he winked at me. I smiled wryly and waited patiently. He suddenly doubled over in pain and all his groupies swarmed in, and I heard him say to them, "Girls, girls, I'm ok, I just need a good sleep, gotta be in tiptop shape for the next quidditch match!" The girls simpered and walked out, casting longing looks over their shoulders at the poor invalid. I snorted and walked up to his bed.

"You're so milking it."

"I know." He responded with a grin.

"So how are you feeling?" I asked tentatively.

"I'm ok," he responded, "Lily, what you did-,"

"Forget it, Potter. I just couldn't stand it if…"

"If what?"

"Um… if Remus was sad because you died." I finished weakly.

"Oh," he said dully, "well anyway, I do need some sleep so…"

"Of course. Potter… I'm glad your ok."

I was out of the room before he could respond.

"James, the only reason I've said no to you so many times is because of how you treat other people. You act as if you're better than them and it's a real turn-off. If you changed that one thing I would date you." I said, in a moment of insanity.

His face suddenly lit up, and he jumped out of his seat, saying, "Challenge accepted! When is my deadline for niceness?"

"No Potter that's not what I meant-,"

But he cut me off once more, moving towards me and saying, "Three months? Easy. Remus, Sirius and Peter can be judges."

"Hey that's not fair," I said, getting distracted. ", we need impartial judges.

"Fine, how about three from my side, three from yours?"  
"Deal." I said, the words out of my mouth before I realised what I was agreeing to.

"Fantastic," he said, moving round the back of my chair. "Now Miss Evans, what can I get you, another pillow, a cup of tea, milk and two sugars, right?" he pulled my pillow from behind me and fluffed it up, looking like an eager puppy. I laughed in spite of myself and said, "It's a start."

He put his hand on my forearm and said gently, "Thank you Lily. You won't regret this."

Oh shit.


End file.
